This invention relates to network-based computer systems, and more particularly systems and methods for the designing and ordering of custom products in an Internet-based, or other computerized environment.
Bags, portfolios and other items having customized names, logos and other promotional graphics thereon have been available for many years. The process of producing these personalized items typically involves the design of a custom logo, or other graphic design, which is subsequently provided to a specialized manufacturer for application to a pre-existing article (often a bag, portfolio, tote, luggage piece or other item). The graphic can be produced as a sew-on textile patch, a screen-printed design, an adhesive decal or another form of applique. The process of designing and applying a customized graphic to an underlying article is largely labor-intensive and can entail significant costs. Accordingly, several samples of the article, usually bearing differently sized and variably positioned graphics thereon, are initially produced for review by the customer. The customer typically selects one or more of the samples from which a larger production run of customized article(s) occurs. A discriminating large-capacity customer may require several runs of samples before a finalized design is chosen. As noted, substantial labor is required in creating these many samples, and a substantial time period often elapses, before the final production run occurs.
The recent popularity in Internet-based commerce (often popularly termed xe2x80x9ce-commercexe2x80x9d) has afforded the purchaser greater opportunities to select and commission custom and semi-custom products from a large range of suppliers using a remote computer. Computerized orders are received at the supplier via the Internet after logging into a manufacturer""s or distributor""s site on the well-known World Wide Web (e.g. its xe2x80x9cweb sitexe2x80x9d). Once received by a system administrator or dedicated staff member, these computer-based orders are converted into a confirmed order for a given product at the supplier""s facility.
In general, current Internet-based product-ordering services enable the selection of ready-made products from a catalog list. Some sites allow rudimentary customization by providing various menus of alterations or additions to an underlying article. Typically, the modifications are selected from a specific list of preexisting modifications (hence, xe2x80x9csemi-customxe2x80x9d goods). These semi-custom products can sometimes be viewed based upon pre-loaded imagesxe2x80x94though the pictorial accuracy of the customized images, when compared with the actual finished article, is not always guaranteed.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a system and method for enabling the custom design and ordering of large number of articles in an Internet or other computer-based environment. These articles should allow an ordering client to be able to manipulate and view the finished article with a reasonably good degree of accuracy and clarity.
This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a system and method for customizing the appearance of base articles on a computer-based display using a variety of graphic images, so that the user can preview an article before commissioning an order. Data is transferred between a supplier having a server that manages a local database and a remote client computer. The data stored on the database typically includes predetermined images of client articles and accompanying images of custom graphics. These graphics are created by the supplier based upon designs typically submitted by the client or a related end user. The database stores information on a variety of clients. Each client is associated with one or more profile, and each profile includes a series of images associated therewith. The profiles may each be a particular end user associated with a client who is a distributor of articles. The client or an underlying end user logs in under a given profile user name and password, and selects desired article images, and then calls up associated graphic images for an image file in the database that is associated with the profile. The graphic images appear at the client display in menu form, and are selectively manipulated onto a preselected article image, creating a desired appearance. Manipulation of the graphics onto the article image can be accomplished by a drag and drop process using a conventional computer mouse operating on a conventional operating system software application. The customized article appearance can be resubmitted to the supplier for production of an actual physical sample of the article. In one embodiment the articles are bags, luggage, totes, portfolios and the like, while the graphics are logos, trade names, pictographs, etc.